Upu or Apu, also rendered as Aba/Apa/Apina/Ubi/Upi, was the region surrounding

Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...

of the

1350 BC Events and trends * c. 1356 BC – Amenhotep IV begins the worship of Aten in Ancient Egypt, changing his name to Akhenaten and moving the capital to Akhetaten, starting the Amarna Period. * c. 1352 BC – Amenhotep III ( Eighteenth ...

Amarna letters The Amarna letters (; sometimes referred to as the Amarna correspondence or Amarna tablets, and cited with the abbreviation EA, for "El Amarna") are an archive, written on clay tablets, primarily consisting of diplomatic correspondence between t ...

. Damascus was named ''Dimašqu'' / ''Dimasqu'' / etc. (for example, "Dimaški"-(see:

Niya (kingdom) Niya, Niye, and also Niy of Thutmose I's Ancient Egypt, also Nii of the Amarna letters, and Nihe, etc. was a kingdom in Syria, or northern Syria. In the Amarna letters correspondence of 1350- 1335 BC, ''Nii'' is only referenced in two letters, ...

), in the letter correspondence. The region is only referenced in three letters, EA 53, 189, and 197 ( EA is for 'el

Amarna Amarna (; ar, العمارنة, al-ʿamārnah) is an extensive Egyptian archaeological site containing the remains of what was the capital city of the late Eighteenth Dynasty. The city was established in 1346 BC, built at the direction of the Ph ...

').

Etakkama Etakkama, as a common name, but also, Aitukama, Atak(k)ama, Etak(k)ama, and Itak(k)ama is the name for the 'mayor' (king) of Qidšu, ( Kadesh) of the 1350– 1335 BC Amarna letters correspondence. (Qidšu is also referenced as: Qinšu, also Kissa ...

of ''Qidšu'' (

Kadesh Qadesh, Qedesh, Qetesh, Kadesh, Kedesh, Kadeš and Qades come from the common Semitic root "Q-D-Š", which means "sacred." Kadesh and variations may refer to: Ancient/biblical places * Kadesh (Syria) or Qadesh, an ancient city of the Levant, on ...

) in the

Beqaa Beqaa ( ar, بقاع, link=no, ''Biqā‘'') can refer to two places in Lebanon: * Beqaa Governorate, one of six major subdivisions of Lebanon * Beqaa Valley, a valley in eastern Lebanon and its most important farming region See also

*Kasbeel ...

(named the ''

Amqu The Amqu (also Amka, Amki, Amq) is a region (now in eastern Lebanon), equivalent to the Beqaa Valley region, named in the 1350– 1335 BC Amarna letters corpus. In the Amarna letters, two other associated regions appear to be east(?) and north(?) ...

'') is in partial control, between allegiance to Pharaoh, and conjoining forces with the king of Hatti. An example of the intrigue is from the last third of EA 53, (entitled: ''"Of the villain Aitukama"''): :My lord, if he (i.e. pharaoh) makes this land a matter of concern to my lord, then may my lord send

archers Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In mo ...

that they may come here. (Only) messengers of my lord have arrived here. :My lord, if

Arsawuya Arsawuya was a 'mayor' of Ruhizzi, located east of ''Qidšu''-(Kadesh), and farther east beyond the Anti-Lebanon mountain range, during the 1350–1335 BC Amarna letters correspondence. He is referenced in five letters, two letters of which he wro ...

Ruhizzi Ruhizzi, was a city, or city-state located in northern Canaan or southern Amurru territories, in the foothills of Mount Hermon during the time of the Amarna letters correspondence. During the 15-20 year Amarna letters of 1350- 1335 BC, Arsawuya w ...

and Teuwatti of Lapana remain in ''Upu'', and Tašša (Tahash) remains in the Am my lord should also know about them that ''Upu'' will not belong to my lord. Daily they write to Aitukama (

) and say as follows: "Come, tak ''Upu'' in its entirety." :My lord, just as Dimaški (Damascus) in ''Upu'' (falls) at your feet, so ''may''

Qatna Qatna (modern: ar, تل المشرفة, Tell al-Mishrifeh) (also Tell Misrife or Tell Mishrifeh) was an ancient city located in Homs Governorate, Syria. Its remains constitute a tell situated about northeast of Homs near the village of al-M ...

(fall) at your feet. My lord, one asks for life before my messenger. I do not fear

t al T, or t, is the twentieth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''tee'' (pronounced ), plural ''tees''. It is deri ...

in the presence of the archers of my lord, ''since'' the archers belong to my lord. If he sends (them) to me, they will en erQatna. -EA 53, (''only'' lines 52-70(End)). The intrigue of the three Amarna letters appears to involve areas to the north and northwest of Damascus, into Lebanon and the Beqaa (named

). And, for example Tašša, appears to be "Tahash," Tahaš, named after the biblical 'Tahash' personage; see:

Patriarchs (Bible) The patriarchs ( he, אבות ''Avot'', singular he, אב ''Ab (Semitic), Av'') of the Bible, when narrowly defined, are Abraham, his son Isaac, and Isaac's son Jacob, also named Israel, the ancestor of the Israelites. These three figures ...

References

* Moran, William L. (ed. and trans.) ''The Amarna Letters''. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1992. Aramean cities Amarna letters locations Ancient Damascus {{AncientEgypt-stub